Stock-feeding device.



No. 745,478. Patented Dec. 9. |902.

(Application filed July A fwgeys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

sTooK-FEr-:ome DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 715,478, dated December9, 1902.

Application filed July 16, 1902. Serial No. 115,822. (No model..

To LEZ whom, t 11m/y concern:

Be it known that I, LEE HELMICK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pennsboro, in the county of Ritchie and State of VlestVirginia,'have invented a new and useful Stock-Feeding Device, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices employed for holding the feed ofanimals in a convenient position for consumption, so that the animalscannot waste the feed and so that the feed will be protected from theintroduction of foreign matter.

One object of the' invention is to produce a simple, cheap, andconvenient device which will not only protect the supply of feed whilebeing placed in the feed-trough, but will also render it possible toregulate the supply, so that greedy animals will be prevented fromoverfeeding and the supply to delicate animals controlled.

Another object of Ithe invention is the production of a device which maybe divided, so that animals may be fed from both sides at once or fromeither side, as desired.

Another object of the invention is the production of a device which maybe employed as a closure to the pen containing the animals and also as ameans for holding the supply of feed while the animals are consumingit.

Further objects of the invention will appear in the annexed descriptionand be specified in the claim following.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the device complete. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section. y

This apparatus may be constructed of any size or length and adapted tofeed animals of dierent species, but will be more particularly employedfor the purpose of feeding hogs, and in the drawings a structure of thischaracter is shown for the purpose of illustration, and consists ofvertical end supports 10 11, preferably made broad at the base andcontracted at the upper parts, as illustrated at 12 13.

The feed-trough is preferably of the ordinary V shape, as shown, and issecured by its ends centrally between the end supports 10 11l near theirlower parts. 'Transversely disposed through the feed-trough at suitableintervals be obvious.

are guard-bars 15 to form stops to prevent the animals getting into thetrough or from interfering with each other while feeding. Theseguard-bars will preferably be in the form of rods with nuts on the endsoutside the trough, so that they not only serve as stops to prevent theinterference of the animals with each other, but also as supports orstays to strengthen the trough transversely. Longitudinally disposedbetween the end supports 10 11 is a vertical partition formed in twoparts 16 17, the portion 16 being station- Tary and connected by itsends to the inner faces of the contracted portions 12 13 of the endsupports and the lower' portion 17 engaging the lower edge of theportion 16 by its upper edge and mov-ably supported between the endsupports 10 11 by pivot-bolts 19., inserted into the portion 17 throughthe end supports 10 11. Two of these bolts 19 will be employed, as willbe understood, and arranged in horizontal alinement, so that they formhingepintles to enable the portion 17 to freely swing by its lower edgetransversely of the trough and extend by its lower edge into the troughand in close proximity to the guardbar 15 when in its central position,as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The width of the portion 17 willbe sufficient to cause its lower edge to reach nearly to the upper outeredges of the sides of the feed-trough when swung to its outermostpositions laterally, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that access to thefeedtrough may be cut off from either side. as will It will also beobvious that if the swinging portion 17 be located at its centralposition, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the feed-trou ghis thereby divided and access thereto may be had from either side. Thiswill be a very convenient arrangement when a large number of smalleranimals are to be fed,'as in that case practically two small troughs areformed or the trough 14 divided longitudinally into two separate troughsaccessible from both sides, the swinging division-plate in that caseserving as a stop to prevent the interference of the animals feedingfrom opposite sides of the trough. This is an important feature of theinvention and adds materially to the efficiency and usefulness of thedevice, as it increases very materially the different uses for which itmay be employed ICO and enables the owner to feed his stock with greatereconomy and effectiveness. Another' advantage of the movable section 17is that the owner is enabled by its use to control the feed, so thatanimals which are inclined to feed too fast can be checked andcontrolled and forced to feed slowly, as the movable portion 17 can beset at any point desired, so that only a small portion of the trough orthe feed therein is accessible to the animal. The adjustable portion 17will also be found very convenient for use in feeding delicate animalsor calves, as with this feature of the device the trough can bepartially closed and only so much exposed as may be required.

Extending inwardly from the end supports 10 11, between the trough andthe stationary portion 16 of the division-plate, are projections 18,conforming at their lower ends with the interior of the trough anddiverged upward to the lower edge of the plate 16, as shown, theinclined outer edges of these projections conforming to the outer edgesof the plate 16 when the latter is moved to its outward positions abovethe opposite edges of the trough, and attached to these projections areplates 20, extending by their inner edges beyond the inner surfaces ofthe projections 18 and overlapping the ends of the movable section 17and forming stops thereto to limit its lateral movement. Thus itwill beobvious that when the portion 17 is moved to the left, as shown in Fig.2, the plates 20 will be engaged by the plate 17 and its furthermovement in that direction thereby prevented, and then when the plate 17is swung to the opposite position it will engage the opposite pair ofthe plates 20 by its opposite side and be stopped thereby from furthermovement in that direction. By this means it will be impossible to throwthe movable section 17 beyond the outer edges of the trough 14. Theextensions 18 thus serve asa firm support to the stops 20 and alsoafford a means for firmly securing the ends of the trough in place, asthey serve as chocks or cleats to which the ends of the trough may benailed or bolted. yThis is an important feature of the invention andgreatly increases the stability of the structure and renderslongitudinal braces unnecessary.

When the movable section 17 is moved over into the position shown inFig. 2, it forms a complete closure between the end portions 10 11 andthe trough and the stationary portion v16 and entirely shuts off accessto the trough from that side, and when the device is to be used theportion 17 will be set toward the side of the pen orinclosure containingthe animals to be fed, so that access to the trough will be entirelyshut oif while the feed is being placed therein. This is a veryconvenient arrangement and enables the owner to supply the feed withoutwaste or disturbance from the animals until the feed is ready. Anothergreat advantage of this arrangement is that the feed-trough may beentirely shut off until the proper time for feeding the animals, so thatmuch valuable time can be saved and waste of feed prevented.

Any suitable means may be employed forv operating the movableplate 17;but for the purpose of illustration a simple lever 21 is shown attachedto one side of the section 17 and extended upward convenient to the handof the operator. A movable stop 22 will be provided extending from thesection 16 and adapted to engage the lever and support itin its outwardposition and the section 17 thereby held in one position, as indicatedin Fig. 1, and then when the lever is reversed or placed in the positionshown in Fig. 2, with the section 17 in its other position, a loop 23 onthe section 16 will be utilized to detachably support the lever in thatposition.

The section 17 will preferably be strengthened by transverse cleats 24,suitably secured thereto, and in this connection the lever 2l alsoserves as a strengthening-cleat to the section 17.

The trough 14 may be of any length, and when the device is complete itforms an admirable means for closing a gap in the pen or inclosurecontaining the animals, as will be obvious by reference to Fig. 2,wherein the sections 16 and 17 and the trough 14 close the gap betweenthe end sections 10 11, and if the latter be placed in the entrance tothe inclosure or arranged to form a part of the inclosure itself thedevice can be utilized to performtwo important purposes,and thus occupymuch less room than if employed as a separate and distinct part of thefeeding outfit. Vhile this latter arrangement may be very convenientunder certain circumstances, I do not Wish to be limited in any mannerto the use of the device or to the locality where it may be employed, asit may be used as above noted or as a separate and distinct feedingdevice and employed for no other purpose.

The proportions may be changed and modified without departing from theprinciple of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

The device may be constructed of any suitable material-wood or metal orpartially of Wood and partially of metal-and the trough 14 may be madein any desired shape and of any desired material.

Under some circumstances the trough might be constructed of metal in theform of a half-circle.

A suitable drainage-aperture will be provided for the trough 14, adaptedto be closed by a removable plug 25, as shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isy A stock-feedingdevice consisting of vertical end supports, a feed-trough disposedhorizontally between said end supports near their lower parts, spacedguard-bars transversely IOO IIO

disposed in said feed-trough, and a divisionplate in two parts disposedvertically between said end supports in vertical central alinement abovesaid feed-trough, the upper part of said division-plate being stationaryand the lower part movable and adapted to swing transversely of thetrough and extend therein when in its central position with its loweredge in relative close proximity to said spaced

